“It’s quite obvious it became a battle to the death,” Hildebrand concedes. “I will give you that. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that she instigated the events by going there on her own in the first place. She hired the courtesan, and then when things went awry, she tried to cover up the incident. She acted in a manner completely at odds with what IVI represents. We do not allow these things to become outside issues. It’s the one rule we must all abide by. Yet we now have an outsider insistent on retribution. Mercedes has drawn attention to us, and not in a good way. This must be dealt with, as much as it displeases me to say. There must be severe consequences—”

“Enough,” Judge snaps. “I would like to have a word with you in private. Now.”

Hildebrand narrows his gaze at Judge, and I cling to Santi as visions of public beatings taint my mind.

“We aren’t finished,” the councilor tells him.

“I’m invoking the Vicarius clause,” Judge replies, low and quiet.

Hildebrand’s eyes flare, and my brother tenses beside me, but I don’t understand what that means. Before I have a chance to guess, Hildebrand shifts his attention to my brother.

“Remove her from his courtroom and wait outside. It looks like we’ll be having that word in private after all.”

24

Judge

I don’t look at her. I can’t. I don’t trust myself. Instead, I keep my gaze on the councilors, hating Hildebrand as he watches Santiago remove Mercedes from the courtroom.

I know what is coming. What form the punishment will take. And I cannot and will not allow Mercedes to bear it. Not after the trauma she has already experienced at her father’s hand and at Theron’s. And even without those events, there was never a question that I would do this. That I would take her place.

Once the door closes behind them, Hildebrand turns his gaze to me, and I wonder if he’s disappointed. Because the Vicarius clause will put her out of his reach.

And me squarely in it.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Judge,” he says, adjusting his reading glasses and looking down at the folder before him.

I’m doing the only thing I can do.

I wonder how many members of The Society know of the Vicarius clause. Santiago does. I could feel him stiffen when I spoke the words to invoke it. Will he tell Mercedes its meaning? I doubt it. Because the matter at hand isn’t the courtesan’s death. That was self-defense. The surveillance leaves little to discuss on that. Our problem now is twofold. It’s a matter of Mercedes lying, and perhaps more importantly, the fact that The Society is exposed to and made vulnerable to an outsider by her actions.